Category Archives: Happy Things

Agh, I’ve been such a bad blogger! So sorry, lovelies. But it’s obviously time for a life update!

Two weeks ago I found myself at New York Comic Con, and had the surreal opportunity to promote VICIOUS and THE ARCHIVED at the same time. Between the back-to-back signings, and the panel alongside epic authors like Lev Grossman and Kami Garcia, I was equal parts exhausted and exhilarated.

(Photo credit: Viking Books…I’m the one with horns)

I was also ON DEADLINE.

A week and a half ago, I finished the draft of my 7th book (9th if you count the two that will never be published). The book still has no title, and it recently got pushed back (only 3-4 months) to make sure I have the time to make it the strongest book possible. But having a first draft feels like a major accomplishment right now, especially in the midst of so much travel and strange and awesome and distraction.

Here’s a few visual hints about the project:

I cannot wait to say more 😉

Anyway, the day after I finished my draft, a film crew flew out on behalf of Scholastic to shoot footage of me for the official Book Clubs and Fairs DVD, yet another first, and another surreal experience in a season dedicated to the new and humbling. They were absolutely lovely, and I am still processing the fact that EVERYDAY ANGEL’s trailer, complete with my commentary, will be in every single classroom pre-fair. Because of my inclusion in the promo materials, it also means that EVERYDAY ANGEL itself will be guaranteed in every. single. fair. Which is just…wow.

Two days after the Scholastic shoot, I drove up to St. Louis to see two of my best friends, toast to finished drafts, and do a signing at a bookstore (Subterranean) where I worked for a semester during my time at WashU. It was a much-needed sanity break.

And then, the day after I drove back to Nashville, I set out for Los Angeles.

I’m not allowed to talk about WHY I went to LA yet (hopefully soon) but suffice it to say, it was a surreal and humbling experience. And in addition to all the secret-y work meetings, I was invited to the Bad Robot offices. *dies* Yes, Bad Robot, as in JJ ABRAMS’ PRODUCTION COMPANY. I snagged this photo from the waiting room:

The offices are as strange and cool and secretive as the man at their helm, and I am still geeking out about the experience. I also totally stole a button from that jar.

(T’s are being crossed and i’s dotted in other parts of LA, and I’m hopeful I’ll be able to share the AMAZING NEWS soon. In the meantime, apologies for being a tease.)

And now, at last, I’m home. For the rest of the fall, in fact, aside from a jaunt to Charleston for YALLFest in a couple weeks (I hope to see some of you there! In addition to paneling, I’ll be signing all three books, THE NEAR WITCH, THE ARCHIVED, and VICIOUS).

In other news, my glorious writing chair came. Behold:

It is a 1920’s style Georgian Wingback, and it cost a fair portion of my soul, but I’m convinced it will be my red violin, and follow me through time. One day I’ll live in a little Scottish apartment and the chair will be my only piece of furniture and it will still feel like home.

And finally, THE UNBOUND.

You guys, THE UNBOUND comes out in 3 MONTHS. I cannot even handle that. I’ve been so caught up in VICIOUS things, the release has snuck up on me! One of the reasons it’s been so stealth on the approach is because we are not doing ARCs.

Before you start BOOing, or making rude gestures, or pouting, here’s what I have to say: there are only 3 months till release, and you probably wouldn’t have time to read the ARC anyway :p But seriously, it was a decision made by the entire Disney team, as well as myself, and I stand by it.

I hope you’ll stand by me.

The success of THE UNBOUND is more important than ever, and I need you with me.

Also, you will have a chance to read the book early, if you want to. We’ll be giving away a very select number of access buttons to a full digital copy, mostly through giveaways and twitter contests, so if you snag one of those, you’ll be able to download a full e-arc.

ALSO.

In only a matter of days (on November 8th), the first 100 pages of THE UNBOUND will go up on Netgalley. It will be auto-approved, so all you have to do is click the download button. As with book 1, no pressure, if you’d rather read it all at once, but if you DO want the sneak peek, it’s yours.

And the only thing I’ll say about those pages is that there is a lot of Wesley in them. There is a lot of Wesley Ayers in the whole book, for that matter. I teasingly said on Twitter the other day:

I’m revising the second book in the EVERYDAY ANGEL series, and will soon be revising an adult project as well. Additionally, I’m hoping to log between 25,000 and 30,000 new words, though I haven’t decided yet where they’ll go. I have two projects I’m currently enamored with, both in the bony stages, and would love to put some meat on each. One I’ve been planning for more than TWO YEARS, and feel like it’s finally time to start.

Regardless, I will try to be a better blogger in the month ahead! And hopefully the next time I blog it will be with NEWS.

I’m so excited because I finally get to share the cover art and jacket copy for my upcoming Scholastic series!

For those who haven’t heard me talk about these books yet, they are a lower middle grade trilogy about a very peculiar guardian angel (a bit Doctor Who, a bit Peter Pan) and the three different girls she helps, and the first books is called NEW BEGINNINGS (the next one is called SECOND CHANCES).

Without further ado, the cover (the final one won’t have the pink bar)!

So for those who know my usual fare–blood and death and things that go bump–this might seem a bit of a departure, but I’m really excited, and honored to be part of the Scholastic team (you guys, I’m going to be in Scholastic Book Fairs, they are going to fly out and film me for the official DVD materials, I can’t even, my childhood, it weeps for joy).

And while my usual taste–like my usual fare–skews darker, and usually comes with an appropriately angsty or sinister or morbid cover, this cover is a perfect fit for this series.

Here’s the pitch:

There’s more to Aria than meets the eye. She’s a guardian angel. And to earn her wings, she’ll have to help three different girls.

Aria’s first mission is Gabby Torres. Gabby’s brother is sick, and Gabby’s been so worried about him for so long, she’s forgotten who she is. When a new school offers her a fresh start, Gabby learns it’s hard to make friends while keeping half her life a secret.

Then Aria shows up. Aria, who knows exactly what to say and do to make Gabby feel better. Can Aria help Gabby find herself again? And will Gabby still trust Aria when she discovers what her new friend really is?

I know this series won’t appeal to everyone in my current fanbase, but I’m really proud of it, and hoping it will appeal to your children, or to the child in you. And luckily for my darker-minded crowd, I’ve got many things in the works for you 😉 2014 promises to be an exciting year in this little corner of the universe.

That is how I feel Because it’s HERE! “Warm Up” is HERE! No, it’s not VICIOUS (yet) but it’s the first glimpse into the VICIOUS world, and that makes it all feel very real and WHEEEEE.

What is it?

“Warm Up” is a short story that takes place before VICIOUS.

What’s it about?

It’s been 297 days since David died–and came back.

He may have survived the avalanche, but the aftermath has been far worse. His wife moved out, taking his son with her, and a devastated David hasn’t left his house since, terrified of the mysterious new power that followed him home from the ill-fated expedition.

After months in seclusion, David’s ready for a fresh start, and ventures out, determined to keep his power in check. But David’s power isn’t the one he needs to worry about.

Where can I read it?

You can read the story for free on TOR.COM, or download it through Amazon and keep with you forever.

And please, please, if you read it (it’s only 15 formatted pages), rate and/or review! It seriously matters. To me. To Tor. To me.

Backstory?

I wrote “Warm Up” while in Scotland, in an Edinburgh cafe called SPOON to be exact, sitting across from the marvelous Rachel Hawkins.

I’d been wanting to write it for months. You see, VICIOUS is a supernatural/sci-fi/superpower story with rules, and I wanted to give you a glimpse of those rules, a look into the world, without spoiling ANYTHING about VICIOUS. Which is harder than it sounds.

I was also really inspired by the opening scene of Inglorious Bastards. Not the content so much as the tension, the idea of walking very slowly through a tense moment, waiting for the strings to break because you know they will.

Everyone who posts the trailer on their site/blog/facebook/twitter and comments below with a link will be entered to win a pre-order of the book and a set of trading cards (you’ll get one entry point for every place you post it).

A separate giveaway will run concurrently on Tumblr (here’s the post) so you have two separate chances to win!

Giveaways run until AUGUST 24TH.

8/24 UPDATE: HELLO! And congratulations to…CHRISTINA MARCH. I will send you an email about claiming your prize 🙂

It’s so completely different from the US cover, which I adore with fiery heart, but I love it so very, very much. It’s dark and punchy and movie poster glorious, and my main character, Victor, looks like an arrogant badass, which is essentially what he is and ngghhhhhhh.

I just.

I think the thing I like so much about these covers–the US and the UK–is that they are both clearly influenced by comic book culture, but in totally different ways. And that is just pretty damn cool.

ALSO! In case you didn’t hear my squees around the internet on Monday, VICIOUS GOT A PW STAR!!!!!!!!

“Schwab’s characters feel vital and real…In a genre that tends toward the flippant or pretentious, this is a rare superhero novel as epic and gripping as any classic comic.”

“Vicious is a fun, morally-flexible revenge tale that pits two mad scientists againt each other…Using an entertaining mix of flashbacks and multiple perspectives, Vicious methodically ratchets up the tension as Victor and Eli circle each other for the inevitable kill.”

–Daniel H. Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of ROBOPOCALYPSE

“V.E. Schwab writes with the fiendish ingenuity, sardonic wit, and twisted imagination of a true supervillian. Vicious is a diabolically clever trap that will lure you in and hold you hostage to the very last page!”

–Greg Cox, New York Times bestselling author

“A noirish cross between the X-Men and ‘The Count of Monte Cristo,’…You won’t be able to stop turning the pages.”

–Alex Bledsoe, author of The Hum and the Shiver

*flails*

And those will be added to these:

“V.E. Schwab demonstrates real literary super powers with VICIOUS –a dynamic and original twist on what it means to be a hero and a villain. A killer from page one. Highly recommended!”
–Jonathan Maberry

“Vicious is dark and intricate and daring, twisting back and forth through time and morality and life and death until you can’t turn the pages fast enough. I loved it.”
—Dan Wells

“Utterly brilliant. Schwab takes the notion of superhero fiction and bashes it on its head. If you like it dark, then prepare to be thoroughly entertained.”
–Jackie Kessler

“Vicious is something new under the sun as Schwab gathers all the superhero/supervillain tropes and turns them on their sundry heads…I could not put it down.”
–F. Paul Wilson

*flails more*

Annnnnnnd because in one week VICIOUS and I will be at BEA!!!

I will be signing ARCs (provided by Tor) at Autographing Table 17 on Friday, May 31st, from 2-3pm!

If you come see me, you will not only get a shiny signed ARC, but also a full set of trading cards! And if you are a blogger wanting giveaway materials or you simply want some to share, I will give you up to THREE sets of trading cards.

I’ll also be wandering the floor on Thurs, Fri, and Sat, and if you see me and say hi, you will be rewarded with trading cards and awkward hugs 😉

Things are so very busy here in Victorialand. I just got back from an amazing weekend at LA Times Festival of Books, and now I’m about to do that thing where you unpack and re-pack in the same breath because OMG I LEAVE FOR SCOTLAND ON TUESDAY. But we’ll get there.

First up, LATFOB!

When I first got invited to the festival, I squeeeeeeeeeeed. And then, when I got my panel assignment, I started laughing nervously. Because, I mean, look at my list of panel-mates:

Lauren Oliver

Veronica Roth

Lissa Price

I mean. (O_O). But once I got over my (O_O) phase, it was an absolute ball! I got to hang out with two awesome members of the Disney publicity squad all afternoon, and the panel and signing went really well!

Here’s a shot of our venue, courtesy of Awesome Publicist Jamie:

And here are a couple close-ups, photo credits to Awesome Publicity Queen Heather, and YAardvarks, respectively:

After the panel, we went over to the signing area, and I got to sit with Veronica, which was at once awesome and humbling because IT’S VERONICA.

Here’s a shot from Ishita Singh that makes me smile:

Thank you so, so much to everyone who came out to support and get books signed! It was such a blast!!! It’s no secret events are my favorite thing in the world, but these kinds of events are by far the coolest/most surreal/most humbling/most happy-making.

After I finished marring people’s books with signatures and sharpie narwhals, Publicist Jamie rounded me up and whisked me off to a Disney Publishing cocktail party that was incredibly fun (and surreal, do we sense a pattern) and came complete with important people and tasty drinks.

And then! I was totally going to go back to my hotel room and edit (I was on deadline) but I got invited to dinner by Elizabeth Wein (as in the author of Code Name Verity aka ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS) and her wonderful editor Cat Onder. And, I mean, dinner with shiny people whose books I adore > edits (but they totally got done I’m getting to that part).

All in all an AMAZING (most over-used word in my vocabulary, I know, I’m working on it) day.

So I flew back today, ate some food, and dove straight back into edits for…

THE UNBOUND.

Ah, The Unbound.

I have never been so happy to hit “THE END” on a book. Again. You guys, I hope this book is almost done. Drafting it gave me hives, revising it gave me an ulcer, and line editing it had me rocking in a corner. I’m still swaying gently. My friends worry. I tell them it will stop eventually.

BUT IT’S GETTING THERE. I HOPE. Let’s move on before I start laughing nervously again.

Another thing that has me fidgeting/rocking/squeeing is…

SCOTLAND!!!

Or as Rachel Hawkins and I refer to it, SKERTLAND!!!!

It’s so hard to believe it’s finally here, but Rachel and I abandon the US for our sexily-accented overseas neighbors TUESDAY. As in, TOMORROW.

As in, the next time I blog, it will be from our apartment in Edinburgh. I’m just going to let that sentence sink in because (O_o).

I am waiting to see if an accent happens. If an accent happens (I usually only get an accent back if I’m in Southern England, but the cadence sneaks in in Scotland) I am sure Rachel will stealth vlog it and then plaster it on the internet. I’m also sure that there will be a variety of SHENANIGANS, because any time Rachel and beer tea and I get together there are shenanigans.

Stay tuned for more on the European adventure front. I’m actually going to be abroad for an entire MONTH. Two weeks in Edinburgh, then a whirlwind of Oslo, Prague, Vienna, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Calais, London, York. Some of it for play, some of it because I’m doing research for a book about a French girl who falls in love with the devil.

So.

I don’t have a great segue from that to this so I will just say…

OMG HOLY ART

One of my FAVORITE ARTISTS EVER is an extraordinarily talented painter named Duy Huynh.

Lovelies, Duy’s art is…I can’t even put into words how amazing. I mentioned in a blog post a year or two back how inspiring I found his work is. Here’s a snapshot from Google image search.

My parents own an original piece of Duy’s work–a stunning painting of a train, the smoke of which is billowing into a sleeping body–and I have three small prints that I adore.

I ADORE this artist. So you can imagine my shock and glee when I came home from LATFOB to discover a present from my parents.

They had commissioned Duy to do a piece based on THE ARCHIVED.

I’m sorry, let me repeat because OMG. DUY HUYNH PAINTED THE ARCHIVED.

Specifically, he painted Mackenzie Bishop in the Narrows (After he read the book and I just can’t even) and OMG.

LIKE.

LOOK.

It’s about 2 and a half feet tall, 2 feet wide, and I am OBSESSED with it.

After holding my tongue for months, I can finally tell you that the second book in the ARCHIVED series has a title! And believe it or not, it’s not THE ARCHIVED #2! Or ARCHIVED…AGAIN.

Are you ready?

It’s…

That’s right, book 2 is called THE UNBOUND. And there’s your little sneak peek at the color palette for the book 😉

First off, let me just say that I’m so nerdily (totally a word) excited that we get to continue the book/library motif in the titles! AND on top of being bookish and awesome, this title fits the book so well. Many thanks to my editor, Lisa, for coming up with it!!

Now, I know you might be thinking, didn’t THE ARCHIVED just come out??? It’s so early to talk about sequels! Well, my publisher has a new 2 catalog/year schedule, and the catalog for September–March is being revealed now, and since I’m a January title, it means you get to see my pretty things alongside the fall list 😉

Now, lovelies, the excitement is just beginning! Tomorrow, the COVER (!!!) and JACKET COPY (it’s spoiler-free!!) will be revealed on YABC–YA Books Central–so be sure to follow me on Twitter because you’ll know I’ll shout that joy from the rooftops when the post goes live.

In the meantime! A few quick myths I’d love to dispell, since they pop up like roaches in a Brooklyn flat.

Myth #1: THE ARCHIVED is a dystopian novel.

Truth: I have no idea where this idea is coming from. I don’t think it’s coming from me. And while I have nothing at all against dystopian novels, I haven’t written one yet! THE ARCHIVED is probably best described as a supernatural thriller. It’s not set in the future, or even an alternate world. It’s set in modern day USA. The idea is that the Archive exists in the here and now, most people just don’t know about it. So nope, not dystopian! If Mackenzie Bishop existed solely in the Archive, as compared to living in the real/mundane world from which she accesses the Archive, then you could begin to create an argument that the Archive is a flawed–if not failed–utopic system. But not as it is. Nope. Sorry kids. So if you see this myth creeping bug-like around the internets, squash it 😉

Myth #2: THE ARCHIVED is the sequel to THE NEAR WITCH.

Truth: Nope. THE NEAR WITCH was my first novel, and a standalone. THE ARCHIVED is the first book in a series. There is no connection whatsoever between Near and the Coronado. Not that a meeting of Lexi and Mac, or Cole and Wes, wouldn’t be fun 😉 But let’s keep those two worlds apart.

Myth #3: VICIOUS is the sequel to THE ARCHIVED.

Truth: Wrong again. VICIOUS seems to be causing a swell of confusion, so allow me to set a few things straight. VICIOUS is my first adult novel. It comes out this September! September 24th, to be exact, with Tor Hardcover. I am over the moon about this book, but you probably haven’t heard me talking much about it. That’s mostly because adult publishing moves at a different pace than YA, so where I get my cover/pitch a full year before a YA book hits shelves, these things come together roughly 6 months before release in adult. Different schedules means different timing. But the time is now upon us, and you’ll hear my talking much more frequently about it! So no, it’s not a sequel to anything, it’s a new book.

The other reason you might be confused is that I’m not writing it as Victoria Schwab. I’m writing it as V.E. Schwab. V.E. Schwab is not a secret identity by any means. My blog is veschwab. My twitter is veschwab. Everywhere I’m on the internet I’m actually listed as veschwab aka V.E. Schwab. I’m not endeavoring to hide! It’s just that I have a number of younger readers (THE NEAR WITCH being lower YA) and I’d rather they not automatically reach for my gory supervillain book because they see my name. Also, to be very honest, I’m aiming for world domination here, and sometimes it pays to be shelf-stealthy, especially in a branch of the industry that is largely male. I’m having a blast proving that young ladies such as myself can write as sick and twisted as the rest of the writer race, but it serves me best if my initial impression is of my book, not my gender.

In cheery news, the cover for VICIOUS is going to be revealed SOON. As in, a matter of days! So, whee!

Myth 4: Victoria feeds on reader tears.

Fact: Oh, well, this one is actually true.

Myth 5: Victoria thinks Earl Grey tea is an abomination to the senses.

Fact: Also true. Seriously, kids. Don’t get me started.

That concludes this installment of myth-busting! And I hope you guys like the title as much as I do!! I’m so excited to tell you more about THE UNBOUND in the coming months!

Today, the final book in Beth Revis’s amazing ACROSS THE UNIVERSE series, SHADES OF EARTH, is finally on shelves!!!

This book. This series. My feelings. Beth’s epicness.

It’s a widely known fact that I love Beth, and I love these books, and I’m so thrilled for her, and so honored that I get to spend release day celebrating with her IN PERSON!

That’s right, we’ll be in Morganton, NC this afternoon (4-7pm) to help launch the final installment in the series*, along with epic authors Megan Miranda, Jessica Khoury, and Alexandra Duncan (and there will be copies of THE ARCHIVED there! My first event for it!)

You should all come, but if you can’t, be sure to wish Beth a very happy book birthday on Twitter (@bethrevis).

AND to celebrate SHADES OF EARTH’s release, I’m going to give away a signed copy from today’s event!!! Pretty cool, right?

Want to win, right?

To enter, simply leave a comment below, and make sure I have some way of contacting you! The contest will run till 9PM EST on Friday!

Lastly, if spending release day with Beth and giving away a signed book wasn’t cool enough, Beth was awesome enough to make a MAKING HISTORY video for you all!

Watch, enter to win, and don’t forget to shower Beth in release day sparkles!

I hinted at this in my last post, but I can finally share one of the things I’ve been working on the last few months!!! This just went up on PM (like, seriously, five seconds ago, I know because I have been stalking the sh*t out of that site today):

Children’s:
Middle grade
Victoria Schwab’s new middle grade series about a mysterious, whimsical young guardian spirit who helps her new friends through difficult, and sometimes dangerous, situations, to Aimee Friedman at Scholastic, in a three-book deal, by Holly Root at Waxman Leavell Literary Agency (world).

What does this mean!?

Well, it means I’m writing a Middle Grade series.

It means I’m lucky enough to be writing in three categories now–MG, YA, Adult–with three amazing, amazing, amazing publishers: Disney*Hyperion, Tor, and Scholastic.

What can I promise you about this series? Well, that it’s very…ME. It’s strange, and it’s quirky, and it’s important to me.

A little while back I mentioned on Twitter that I was working on a middle grade, and went so far as to say that I was writing a character who was equal parts Peter Pan and Doctor Who (one of my betas has even taken to calling my MC “Tiny Tennant”).

I would also add that she’s got a bit of Castiel to her 😉

The deal actually happened back in the spring, and it’s been so hard to sit on the news this long! In part because I’m excited and in part because I’ve been blah-blah-ing about HOW MUCH WORK I’ve had to do, and didn’t want people to think I was just blah-blah-ing. I’m so happy I can finally share.

In the next post I’ll finally get to talk a little bit about what it was like working on THREE books–THE ARCHIVED #2, VICIOUS, and this–at the same time (O_O)